


Snow

by Guanin



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Snow, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 05:32:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8736718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guanin/pseuds/Guanin
Summary: Oswald awakes a cozy, winter morning to discover Jim building him a surprise outside his window.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This fic stands alone, but if you want, you can picture it as being set in the Limping Forward universe.

Jim wasn’t in bed when Oswald woke up, which was a normal occurrence, so Oswald didn’t think anything of it. Police detective that he was, Jim couldn’t shake his body’s urge to awaken early, even on his days off, while Oswald was just the opposite, often rolling into bed after midnight, kept up by some business or other. Jim was off work today, so he was probably downstairs. Oswald lingered in bed a little longer, finally getting up when his stomach grew growly with hunger. Breakfast awaited him in the dining room. Jim wasn’t around. Maybe he went out. He didn’t always let Oswald know when he did. Although there had been a large snowfall overnight. Up to five inches in some areas, according to the forecast. The roads might not be all clear yet, so he should be home. The world outside the windows was completely covered in snow, a white, thick blanket adorning the wide lawn and the tall pine trees bordering his property, the shrubbery pale lines texturing the landscape. Someone was moving at the far right, barely at the edge of what the window allowed him to see. Was that Jim? 

Grabbing his coffee cup, Oswald relocated to the library, where he could see that portion of the lawn clearly through the large doors opening out to the patio. Indeed, the figure was Jim, wearing the black, wool coat Oswald had bought him for Christmas. And doing something which he had been threatening to for the last month. The lawn was covered in snowmen. Tiny, knee high snowmen dressed in equally tiny scarves and knit hats flanked both sides of an invisible path coming in from the right side of the house down to the front of the library doors, and curving around down the front to the fountain that stood straight ahead, where a large snowman stood. Jim had just finished applying little beads to form a mouth and was currently placing a top hat on its head. Oswald gaped at the sight, dumbfounded.

How long had Jim been out there? There must be forty snowmen, at least. Did they go all the way to the conservatory? Jim had only ever spoken of building regular snowmen, nothing so unique as this. There wasn’t one at the front of the house, was there? Jim kept joking about putting one there holding a “Welcome” sign. Although if it was this artistic, he wouldn’t mind. Except for the sign. He did have a reputation to maintain. Wait, was that an umbrella Jim was placing next to the snowman? And a tie?! That better be his own tie he was using. 

He rapped on the glass, but Jim didn’t hear him. Leaving his coffee, Oswald went upstairs, covered himself in layers, and went out on the lawn. Jim looked up from his task as he opened the door, already making more snowmen, this time on the rim of the fountain. The instant the chill of the 24 degree air hit his face, Oswald regretted his decision, but he raised his scarf higher up his chin and plowed on through the sinking snow, carefully stepping around the snowmen. It was beautiful out here despite the cold. And the snowmen gave the lawn a certain winter wonderland feel, especially as he walked up the path, the small figures watching him with black bead eyes. The large snowman bore a top hat by now, cutting a dapper figure that was even more clearly not a coincidence, yet the more Oswald regarded it, the less he minded the similarity. It was sweet, actually. 

“I was hoping I’d be done by the time you got up,” Jim said as Oswald reached the fountain.

“Have you been doing this all morning? How’d you manage this all by yourself? And where did you get all the scarves and hats?”

“A thrift store downtown. And yes. I already took two breaks.”

“It’s amazing. I wish we’d had a snowfall like this for Christmas. It would have fit in so well with the decorations. This is really inspired.”

Jim grinned, the joy in his face tugging a smile on Oswald’s own. 

“Thanks,” he said, approaching Oswald and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. Oswald held him there a bit longer, nuzzling him for a moment. 

“You should take another break. Your face is cold.”

“In a little bit. You can go back inside if you want. I know it’s probably too cold for you.”

“I can hold out for another ten minutes.”

Jim raised a skeptical brow at him.

“Alright, five.”

He stepped around Jim and hugged him from behind, burying his face in his wool scarf.

“I’ll just use you to keep me warm.”

Jim chuckled and squeezed his hands around his waist, massaging the chilled digits. That felt so good. It was so horribly cold out here. Maybe four minutes.

Oswald held out for two more snowmen, then he turned tail and retreated to the blessed warm of the house. Peeling off the chilled layers, he ordered a pot of hot cocoa, because chocolate was what was called for when your boyfriend decorated your yard with festive snowmen. When he’d finished the last snowman on the fountain and removed his own layers, Jim joined him in the library, curling around him on the sofa, cups of cocoa in hand as they enjoyed the delightful scene outside.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this line in Recovery: “I have half a mind to go out there,” Jim said, “and build a snowman one of these days. With a carrot nose and everything.”


End file.
